A man appeared in court yesterday accused of murdering schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton, who went missing from her home in Scotland in 1991, and then burying her body.

Peter Tobin, 62, was accused at Dundee high court of abducting, compelling or otherwise inducing 15-year-old Hamilton, of Redding, Falkirk, to accompany him to his house in Bathgate, West Lothian, and there or elsewhere in Scotland assaulting, drugging and struggling with her, injuring or compressing her neck, seriously sexually assaulting her and killing her.

Tobin denies abducting, sexually assaulting and killing the girl. He pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing to murdering the schoolgirl on February 10 1991.

He claims that at the time of Hamilton's death he was travelling from Portsmouth to Edinburgh. In the special defence, Tobin states that between 5pm and midnight on February 10 1991, he was in the Portsmouth area.

The notice lodged with the court states that he then travelled to Scotland and did not arrive in Edinburgh until 6.30am the following day. He also denies trying to cover up her killing in the months that followed.

Tobin is alleged to have cut the teenager's body in half, bound and wrapped it in coverings and bin bags and concealed, transported and buried it. He is then said to have disposed of and concealed the knives used in the killing.

He is alleged to have committed the crimes between February 10 and December 15 1991 at Robertson Avenue, Bathgate; Irvine Drive, Margate; St Andrew Square, Edinburgh; and locations elsewhere in Britain unknown to the prosecutor.

Tobin is accused of putting Hamilton's purse and its contents under a Portakabin in St Andrew Square, knowing that a missing person inquiry was under way. Prosecutors allege that he did this with the purpose of leading police officers investigating her disappearance to believe that the teenager had run away.

The indictment reads: "All this you did with intent to defeat the ends of justice and to avoid investigation, detection, arrest and prosecution" for her murder and "thus attempt to defeat the ends of justice".

A jury of 12 women and three men were sworn in and told that Tobin's trial is scheduled to run for between three and five weeks.

Addressing them, the judge, Lord Emslie, warned that they should not be swayed by any prejudice, acknowledging that they would no doubt have been aware of Hamilton's disappearance almost 18 years ago. "The oath requires all the decisions you reach and, in particular, your ultimate verdict of guilt or acquittal of Peter Tobin on the charges must be based on evidence to be led during the trial, in this courtroom, and on nothing else."

He emphasised that it was essential for the fairness of the trial that they should be able to comply with the terms of the oath which binds jurors to bring in "a true and fair verdict according to the evidence".

Emslie went on: "Any personal consideration capable of distorting your judgment must have no place in the jury room. Do not allow your thought processes, your judgment, to be influenced or coloured from any other outside source, for example published or broadcast material of any kind."

"You are not here to decide this case on anything other than the evidence. You are not here to make any inquiries of your own."

The case continues.

The charges

Tobin faces a charge of abducting, compelling or otherwise inducing Vicky Hamilton to his home in Bathgate, West Lothian. It alleges that he sexually assaulted and murdered her.

He is also alleged to have concealed her body and removed and disposed of items of clothing. The charge further states that he put her purse under a portable cabin in an attempt to mislead police. He is also accused of cutting her body in two, disposing of the knives and burying the body parts.